Faceless Man
The Faceless Man (AKA the Faceless OneMoon Over Soho) is the name that Peter Grant and Nightingale give to two different London-based practitioners operating criminal organizations during the 1970s, and in the mid 1990s-2010s. Their criminal activities include multiple murders, assaults, money laundering, robbery, illegal demolition, animal cruelty, sex trafficking, tax avoidance, extortion, and kidnapping, among others. The current iteration of the Faceless Man is seen as the Folly's most dangerous adversary by PC Peter Grant and Inspector Nightingale. His name 'The Faceless Man' refers to his use of a glamour and mask in order to hide his identity. The glamour causes individuals to be unable to remember his facial features. The true identity of the current Faceless Man is revealed during the investigation into the party at One Hyde Park.The Hanging Tree The Faceless Man, Mark 1 (1960s-1979) See Main Article: Albert Woodville-Gentle Albert Woodville-Gentle (AKA the Faceless Man, Mark 1) began training in Newtonian magic in his early 20s during his time at Oxford University. He was trained by a Folly-trained practitioner Geoffrey Wheatcroft, without Nightingale's knowledge and outside the formal structure of the Folly. Woodville-Gentle began using his magical skills to advance his criminal enterprises in London during the 1970s, earning him notoriety as a cruel and vengeful crime boss. He encountered Helena Linden-Limmer in the 1960s and traded his business skills for her medical magical skills. Unbeknownst to her, he utilized her magical spells to create Chimerae for the purposes of sex trafficking and prostitution in his club dubbed the Strip Club of Doctor Moreau by Peter Grant. Her medical magic was also malappropriated into cruel and unusual punishments such as the suspended-animation of Larry the Lark. At this time Woodville-Gentle was allied with the corrupt Metropolitan Police Vice Squad especially, Jerry Johnson. Woodville-Gentle became inactive in 1979 after a duel with Helena Linden-Limmer. He suffered a Hyperthaumaturgical degradation-related stroke during the duel and subsequently became hemiplegic. In the 2000s, Varvara Sidorovna found him in a disabled care home on the request of the Faceless Man, Mark 2. The Faceless Man, Mark 2 settled him in Shakespeare Tower of the Barbican Estate with Varvara and other medical nurses. He died sometime in 2012/2013, likely from another Hyperthaumaturgical degradation-related stroke. The Faceless Man, Mark 2 (1995-2010s) The Faceless Man, Mark 2 received his magical education from Albert Woodville-Gentle (the Faceless Man, Mark 1) during the late 1980s at Oxford University. He was a member of the Little Crocodiles dining club and seems to know Geoffrey Wheatcroft and Jason Dunlop personally, as he calls them Jeffers and Grippers respectively. He has been active since the mid 1990s. While his approach to organized criminal activities seems to be more strategic than his predecessor, he has retained the notoriety as a cruel and vengeful practicioner. During the investigation into the Pale Lady, Peter and Nightingale discover that he had been trying to revive The Strip Club of Doctor Moreau for the purposes of sexual exploitation of chimerae. He also tasked the Pale Lady with multiple assassinations via castration, and set George Trenchard's bones on fire while he was alive. He is 'possibly one of the most dangerous men in Britain' according to Nightingale. The Faceless Man mastered many of the medical skills inherited from Woodville-Gentle, and also seems capable of inventing new magical devices such as the Dog Battery. He is also extremely adept with Seducere and other high order spells. At one point he used his powers to influence Simone Fitzwilliam and her "sisters" as well as Peter. His current apprentice is Lesley May. Organized Crime The Faceless Man, Mark 2 uses a number of shell companies and front organizations to maintain anonymity.Whispers Under Ground However he has been linked with County Gard, Chipmunk Catering, the corporate 'Jolly Pad' at One Hyde Park, and The Chestnut Tree. It is likely the shell corporations also exist as methods for money laundering and tax evasion. Motivations During the events of Broken Homes, it becomes apparent that the demolition of Skygarden Tower and the ''Stadtkrone ''have been part of a decades long plan related to London real estate and historical status listing.Broken Homes The Faceless Man, Mark 2 had intended to collect the magic stored in the tower in a Dog Battery device in order to summon the mythical figure Merlin into the present date. As his plan at Skygarden was foiled by Peter Grant, he was forced to look for a powerful magical source elsewhere. He and Lesley May determined that sacrificing Mr. Punch would provide sufficient power for such a summoning setting into motion the events of Lies Sleeping and the creation of the Drinking bell. Associates Several of them end up dead. *Richard Lewis (possible associate, under influence) *Lesley May *Varvara Sidorovna (former) *Robert Weil (possible associate) *The Pale Lady (probable associate) *Tiger Boy (probable associate) *Nestor Yakunin (business associate)Night Witch *Martin Brown, Danny Bates, Max and Barry *Richard WilliamsLies Sleeping Murder victims *Graham Beale's younger brother (probable victim) *Aiden Burghley *John Chapman (probable victim) *Jason Dunlop, carried out by the Pale Lady *Jerry Johnson, carried out by the Pale Lady *Richard Lewis *Alexander Smith *Gabriel Tate (probable victim) *No-Neck Tony *George Trenchard *Many nameless others (no identity discovered yet for some victims) Spoilers His identity is revealed in The Hanging Tree. References Category:Practitioners Category:Criminals Category:Little Crocodiles